UNESCO said that Battir was "[recognized urgently in view of] construction of a separation wall that may isolate farmers from fields they have cultivated for centuries," Reuters reported.

Battir, which is home to ancient farmlands and "pictureque stone terraces" were at threat of ruination under the expansion of Israel's wire fence and concrete wall plan.

UNESCO, however, did not explicitly mention Israel in its final decision to award Battir the protection status, rather saying that "the landscape had become vulnerable under the impact of socio-cultural and geo-political transformations."